The present invention relates to a protective box for a food tray.
In the frozen food industry, food trays are used to supply frozen foods to the consumer. The food tray usually has a rectangular, semi-rectangular, oblong, round or obround shape, and is composed of solid or foamed plastic material. Further, the tray is provided with a bottom, and one or more, contiguous upright sides. At an upper end of the upright sides is a flange, which is typically relatively brittle and fragile.
Typically, the food tray is shipped within a known, straight wall box. However, this known box (typically referred to as a "sealed end box") is simply a rectangular box that has a closeable end through which the food tray is inserted. These boxes provide little protection for the tray itself, and as will be described, during the shipping process the tray is in need of protection.
In the known sealed end box, should the box and tray be dropped, the edges of the tray flange will come into contact with the walls of the box, thus subjecting the tray flange to a sharp impact. This is because there is only thin layers of cardboard between the tray flange and the ground. Thus, it is possible that the tray will break.
Through extensive abuse testing, it has been discovered that each tray has critical areas where breaks typically occur. These critical areas depend on the tray design and are often around the tray flange, stacking features, or around compartment dividers. Tray designs with different length sides may have different susceptability to breakage. In fact, during abuse testing with the known sealed-end box, with a particular design, the tray flange typically breaks about 90% of the time along a short side, as opposed to about 10% of the time along a long side. One reason for this difference in breakage rates is that when the box and tray are dropped, the force is more concentrated during an impact along the short side, than with an impact that may occur on the long side of the box and tray.
The path of the food tray from the processor plant to the consumer is as follows. The food trays are typically filled with the food at the food processor plant, then sealed with a transparent cover. The tray is then pushed into a carton (typically a sealed end box), which is subsequently closed.
The carton is next passed through a freezer. Most commonly used in the industry are freezers in which the boxes are passed in sequence through the freezer, with one box slowly pushing the next box through. The boxes and their contents are frozen down to -40.degree. F.
Next, the frozen boxes and their contents are placed in shipping cartons, which typically contain from between 6 to 12 individual portions. The shipping cartons are then shipped to a distribution center, and then to the supermarket.
At the supermarket, the boxes are stacked and stored, and eventually placed in the freezer section of the supermarket for purchase by the consumer. In the supermarket freezer, the boxes are typically stored at about 0.degree. F.
The consumer, while at the store, may pick up the box, and carelessly handle the box. Assuming the box and its contents are purchased by the consumer, the consumer may additionally mishandle the box at home.
As is apparent from the foregoing process, there is a good chance that the box may be dropped during its travels from the food processor plant to the consumer. If the tray within the box should get damaged, the consumer will likely return the product to the store of purchase, where it will be sent back to the seller.
Typically, tray breakage can show up in two different forms. First, and most apparent, the tray can be broken so that its contents are no longer adequately held. However, since the flange of the tray abuts up against the wall of the box, usually it is the tray flange that breaks. This may result in the flange chipping, with a portion of the flange falling into the food, where it may be subsequently consumed by the consumer. As is apparent, this could possibly cause an injury once consumed.
Although the flange of the tray is susceptible to breakage, the flange is an essential component of most food trays, so that the problem of broken flanges cannot be eliminated by replacing the tray having a flange with a tray that does not have a flange. For example, the flange provides a surface to which the lid can be connected to, or that the covering film or foil can be adhered to.
Further, the flange provides support for the tray. Without the flange, the tray would become flimsy, and unsuitable for its task of holding food.
Moreover, the flange provides a location that can be held onto by the user, for example, after the food in the tray is cooked.
Thus, although the shape of the flange can be changed, for example, from wide to narrow, or from flat to round, flanges are unlikely to disappear from the tray industry in the near future.
Another alternative to help reduce the problem of breakage would be to redesign the tray. However, this would require changing the automated assembly line to accommodate the redesigned trays, and require retooling at the tray manufacturing plant to manufacture the redesigned tray. Of course, such an endeavor would be expensive. Further, the redesigned tray would still be subjected to breakage in certain situations.
Additionally, it may be possible to manufacture the tray from a material other than plastic. However, plastic trays have evolved from aluminum trays, and are popular because they are microwavable, whereas aluminum trays are usually not. Further, plastic trays are in widespread use, and their complete replacement with an alternative medium in the near future is slight.
Furthermore, the current trend in the food processing industry is toward using even lighter and more inexpensive trays, such as trays comprised of foam. Although the foam trays are cheaper to manufacture, and up to 40% lighter than their counterparts, foam trays are weaker, and more susceptible to breakage. Thus, foam trays are even less suitable for use in the conventional sealed end box than other plastic trays.
Furthermore, trays made of recycled materials are being increasingly used. However, similar to the foam trays, trays made of recycled materials usually have a high breakage rate.